How Many Draft Picks Does an NFL Team Have?
Contents
The NFL Draft is an annual event in which NFL teams select college football players to join their ranks. Each team has a certain number of draft picks that they can use to select players.
Introduction
Each NFL team is assigned a certain number of draft picks each year. The number of picks a team has depends on how that team fared the previous season, as well as whether or not that team has any compensatory picks (more on that later).
Generally speaking, the worse a team did the previous season, the more draft picks they will have. For example, the team with the worst record in the NFL will have 32 draft picks (one in each round), while the Super Bowl winner will have just 31.
The number of draft picks a team has can also change from year to year. If a team trades away one of its future draft picks, then it will have fewer picks in future drafts. Conversely, if a team acquires an extra draft pick (either through a trade or via compensatory pick), then it will have more picks in future drafts.
Number of Draft Picks Varies
The number of draft picks a team has varies from year to year, depending on things like their win-loss record from the previous season, whether or not they made the playoffs, and if they have any compensatory picks. In 2020, the number of draft picks each NFL team has ranges from 4 to 7.
The 7 Round Draft
The NFL draft consists of seven rounds. Each team has one pick in each round, for a total of 32 picks. The order of the picks is determined by the previous year’s standings, with the worst team picking first and the Super Bowl winner picking last.
There are also compensatory picks, which are given to teams that have lost more free agents than they’ve signed in the previous offseason. These picks are not determined by draft order and can be given out anywhere from round 3 to round 7. There are a maximum of 32 compensatory picks given out each year.
The Undrafted Free Agents
The number of draft picks a team has varies from year to year, and is largely dependent on how successful the team was the year before. For example, the 32 picks in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft were allotted based on the inverse order of finish for the 2013 season. The 2014 NFL Draft order for all rounds can be found here.
In addition to the draft picks that are formally announced on draft day, each NFL team is also allowed to sign a certain number of undrafted free agents (UDFAs) after the draft has concluded. The number of UDFAs a team can sign is not made public, but is generally in the range of 10-15 players.
Conclusion
In the end, each NFL team will have between six and seven draft picks in the 2020 NFL Draft. The exact number for each team will be determined by a number of factors, including trades and compensatory picks.
